A novel of sensational literary and psychological suspense from the best-selling author of Less Than Zero and American Psycho that tracks a group of privileged high school friends in a vibrantly fictionalized 1980s Los Angeles as a serial killer strikes across the city Bret Easton Ellis’s latest masterful novel is a story about the end of innocence, and the perilous passage from adolescence into adulthood, set in a vibrantly fictionalized Los Angeles in 1981 as a serial killer begins targeting teenagers throughout the city. Seventeen-year-old Bret is a senior at the exclusive Buckley prep school when a new student arrives with a mysterious past. Robert Mallory is bright, handsome, charismatic, and shielding a secret from Bret and his friends even as he becomes a part of their tightly knit circle. Bret’s obsession with Mallory is equaled only by his increasingly unsettling preoccupation with the Trawler, a serial killer on the loose who seems to be drawing ever closer to Bret and his friends, taunting them—and Bret in particular—with grotesque threats and horrific, sharply local acts of violence. The coincidences are uncanny, but they are also filtered through the imagination of a teenager whose gifts for constructing narrative from the filaments of his own life are about to make him one of the most explosive literary sensations of his generation. Can he trust his friends—or his own mind—to make sense of the danger they appear to be in? Thwarted by the world and by his own innate desires, buffeted by unhealthy fixations, he spirals into paranoia and isolation as the relationship between the Trawler and Robert Mallory hurtles inexorably toward a collision. Set against the intensely vivid and nostalgic backdrop of pre-Less Than Zero L.A., The Shards is a mesmerizing fusing of fact and fiction, the real and the imagined, that brilliantly explores the emotional fabric of Bret’s life at seventeen—sex and jealousy, obsession and murderous rage. Gripping, sly, suspenseful, deeply haunting, and often darkly funny, The Shards is Ellis at his inimitable best.
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About the author
Bret Easton Ellis
Author
Bret Easton Ellis is an American author and screenwriter. Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique as a writer is the expression of extreme acts and opinions in an affectless style. His novels often share recurring characters.
The Shards
by Bret Easton Ellis
Books Like The Shards
If you're looking for books similar to The Shards, here are some recommendations based on themes, tone, and narrative style.
Less Than Zero
Bret Easton Ellis
A haunting novel about privileged youth in Los Angeles, exploring themes of alienation and moral emptiness. The protagonist Clay returns home from college to a world of disaffected rich teenagers, drug use, and casual violence. Ellis's stark prose captures the emotional detachment of 1980s youth culture. The book offers a raw, unflinching look at the dark underbelly of privileged teenage life in Los Angeles.
Less Than Zero
Bret Easton Ellis
A groundbreaking novel about disaffected youth in 1980s Los Angeles. The protagonist Clay returns from college to a world of drug use, casual sex, and emotional emptiness. Ellis captures the alienation of privileged teenagers with stark, minimalist prose. The book offers a raw exploration of youth culture and moral decay.
American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis
A provocative psychological thriller about Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street executive with violent fantasies. The novel blends dark humor with graphic violence, exploring themes of identity, consumerism, and psychological breakdown. Ellis's distinctive narrative style deconstructs 1980s materialism and social facades. The book is a disturbing exploration of masculinity, obsession, and the thin line between reality and delusion.
Fight Club
Chuck Palahniuk
A transgressive novel about masculinity, alienation, and rebellion in modern society. The story follows an unnamed narrator who creates an underground fight club as a form of psychological release. Palahniuk's dark, satirical style explores themes of identity, consumerism, and male aggression. The book offers a similar psychological intensity and exploration of hidden desires.
The Secret History
Donna Tartt
A psychological thriller about a group of elite college students involved in a mysterious murder. The novel explores themes of intellectual obsession, group dynamics, and moral ambiguity. Tartt's intricate narrative delves into the dark psychological spaces of privileged young people. The book offers a similar blend of psychological suspense and character study.
American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis
A provocative psychological thriller about Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street executive with violent fantasies. The novel blends dark humor with graphic violence, exploring themes of identity, consumerism, and psychological breakdown. Ellis's distinctive narrative style deconstructs 1980s materialism and social facades. The book is a disturbing exploration of masculinity, obsession, and the thin line between reality and delusion.
The Secret History
Donna Tartt
A psychological thriller about a group of elite college students involved in a mysterious murder. The novel explores themes of intellectual obsession, group dynamics, and moral ambiguity. Tartt's intricate narrative delves into the dark psychological spaces of privileged young people. The book offers a similar blend of psychological suspense and character study.
Bright Lights, Big City
Jay McInerney
A seminal 1980s novel about a young man's descent into cocaine-fueled desperation in New York City. The protagonist navigates a world of nightclubs, media jobs, and personal disintegration. McInerney captures the era's excess and emotional emptiness with sharp, witty prose. The book shares Ellis's exploration of privileged youth and societal disillusionment.
Glamorama
Bret Easton Ellis
A postmodern novel about a male model caught in a surreal world of celebrity, terrorism, and identity dissolution. Ellis continues his exploration of surface-level culture and hidden violence. The book blends dark humor, pop culture critique, and psychological thriller elements. It shares the meta-narrative approach and psychological complexity of The Shards.
White Noise
Don DeLillo
A postmodern novel exploring media saturation, consumerism, and existential anxiety. The story follows a professor and his family confronting a toxic chemical event and their own mortality. DeLillo's dark humor and psychological insight create a complex narrative about modern life. The book shares Ellis's interest in cultural critique and psychological depth.
Lunar Park
Bret Easton Ellis
A metafictional novel blending autobiography and horror, featuring a protagonist named Bret Ellis. The book explores themes of identity, family, and psychological breakdown. Ellis plays with reality and fiction, creating a deeply personal and unsettling narrative. The novel shares The Shards' meta-narrative approach and psychological complexity.
Bright Lights, Big City
Jay McInerney
A seminal 1980s novel about a young man's descent into cocaine-fueled desperation in New York City. The protagonist navigates a world of nightclubs, media jobs, and personal disintegration. McInerney captures the era's excess and emotional emptiness with sharp, witty prose. The book shares Ellis's exploration of privileged youth and societal disillusionment.
Glamorama
Bret Easton Ellis
A postmodern novel about a male model caught in a surreal world of celebrity, terrorism, and identity dissolution. Ellis continues his exploration of surface-level culture and hidden violence. The book blends dark humor, pop culture critique, and psychological thriller elements. It shares the meta-narrative approach and psychological complexity of The Shards.
White Noise
Don DeLillo
A postmodern novel exploring media saturation, consumerism, and existential anxiety. The story follows a professor and his family confronting a toxic chemical event and their own mortality. DeLillo's dark humor and psychological insight create a complex narrative about modern life. The book shares Ellis's interest in cultural critique and psychological depth.
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